Heavy Rains Wreak Havoc in China

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(NECN/CCTV) - Heavy rain continues to wreak havoc in many parts of China, with no immediate signs of easing.

Provinces suffering under the deluge face high risks of flooding and landslides. Strong rains are predicted to continue battering many areas, including Guangdong, Hunan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Shanghai.

More than 14 million people along the Yangtze River are being affected by the downpours, where rain-triggered floods have damaged 800-thousand hectares of farmland and destroyed 20-thousand houses.

Economic losses are estimated at 8 billion Yuan in the region.

Among the 10 provinces and regions suffering the rainstorms, Anhui Province and Hubei Province are the hardest-hit.

On Sunday afternoon, a dike on the Dash river in Tongcheng city in Anhui province was breached, leading to an evacuation.

Some 80 thousand people were relocated to safe areas of Tongcheng.(soundbite) An armed police captain, "We have 11 canoes altogether. By far, we have transferred about 500 persons on the upper reaches. "

Meanwhile local residents and soldiers from the region rushed to repair the dike.

To stop the surge, 8 trucks were pushed into the water. Earth and stones were piled up, and the situation was temporarily under control.

In Wuhan city, capital of central China's Hubei province, the precipitation on Sunday reached to 187 millimeters, leading to traffic standstill temporarily.

All pumping stations are working to drain floodwater on the roads. It is estimated that the drainage work will take up to three days.